In 2023, Priyanka Chopra made headlines when she appeared on the podcast “Armchair Expert” and shared some shocking revelations about her departure from Bollywood. When asked why she left Bollywood, Priyanka disclosed that she had “beef” with some people in the industry and felt cornered and exhausted by the politics.
Despite being at the peak of her career, she decided to leave. The question remains, what were the issues that drove Priyanka to leave the industry and venture into Hollywood?
Firstly, it’s important to understand that Priyanka Chopra was always considered an outsider in the Indian film industry. Nepotism, a prevalent issue in Bollywood, posed significant challenges for her. Priyanka, born into a military family, moved to the USA at the age of 12 to live with her aunt. While in the USA, she faced racism but also engaged in theater and music. After three years, she returned to India, completed her education at Army Public School in Bareilly, and began participating in local beauty pageants. She eventually won the Miss World title in 2000, which helped her establish a foothold in the industry.
Priyanka was initially set to debut in the 2002 film “Humraaz,” but she ended up making her debut in the Tamil film “Thamizhan.” She later revealed in an interview that she had to leave a movie in 2002-2003 after two days of shooting due to inappropriate demands from the filmmaker, which involved seduction scenes and partial nudity.
Her official Bollywood debut came with “Hero: The Love Story of a Spy.” However, it was her pairing with Akshay Kumar in films like “Andaaz” and “Mujhse Shaadi Karogi” that garnered significant attention. The on-screen chemistry between Akshay and Priyanka was well-received, but their alleged off-screen affair caused a major scandal. Priyanka’s then-secretary, Prakash Jaju, claimed she was involved with both Akshay and Harman Baweja simultaneously, which reportedly strained Akshay’s marriage with Twinkle Khanna. Following this, Akshay made an official statement that he would no longer work with Priyanka.
Despite the controversies, Priyanka continued to deliver hits, such as “Krrish,” “Fashion,” “Kaminey,” “Barfi,” and the “Don” franchise with Shah Rukh Khan. However, the rumors of an affair with Shah Rukh Khan further complicated her career. Allegations of a relationship between them were fueled by media reports and public appearances, including an instance where Priyanka was seen wearing a jacket similar to one Shah Rukh had worn. This reportedly led to tensions with Shah Rukh’s wife, Gauri Khan, and eventually resulted in Priyanka being boycotted by several production houses.
In 2012, Priyanka’s manager, Anjula Acharia, proposed that Priyanka consider a career in music in the USA. Priyanka accepted and released her first single, “In My City,” followed by “Exotic” featuring Pitbull. Though her music career did not take off as expected, it opened doors for her in Hollywood. She voiced a character in Disney’s “Planes” and starred in the successful TV series “Quantico” from 2015 to 2018.
Priyanka also ventured into production, launching her own company and producing films like “The Sky Is Pink” and “The White Tiger.” She married Nick Jonas in 2018, which brought additional media attention. Alongside her Hollywood career, she invested in various businesses, including the dating app Bumble and launched her own haircare brand, Anomaly, and an Indian-themed restaurant, Sona, in New York City.
Despite the challenges she faced in Bollywood, Priyanka Chopra successfully transitioned to Hollywood, proving her resilience and versatility as an artist. Her decision to leave Bollywood was driven by the toxic environment she experienced, but it ultimately led to new opportunities and achievements on an international scale.
